Combination gas-electric coupling



July 13, 1965 J. H. FIELD COMBINATION GAS-ELECTRIC COUPLING Filed Aug. 25, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 ffy.

Q Y M l1 4a /94 44 86 5 90 82 26 l. 14, es 56 74 84 v 24 1%- 72 Y wir INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY July 13, 1965 J. H. FxELD COMBINATION GAS-ELECTRIC COUPLING INVENTOR. dfi/w65 h( fa/.D BY

ATTORNEYS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Mfw,

Filed Aug. 23, 1962 July 13, 1965 J, H. FIELD 3,195,095

COMBINATION GAS-ELECTRIC COUPLING Filed Aug. 25, 1962 3 SheetsSheet 3 ffy. 8

INVENTOR. n

A TTORNE YS United States Patent O 3,l95,tl95 CililllN-l'lllsl GAS-ELECTRES CULENG cames H. Field, otomac, Md., assigner to R. E. Darling Co., Enc., a corporation or ll/iaryland Filed 23, 1963, Ser. No. 29,7 6 Claims. (Cl. E39- lofi The present invention relates to a quiclt disconnect titting for a ilexible hose, and more particularly and speciiically to a quick disconnect coupling for interconnecting gas and electrical conducting components in separable sections of a flexible tube or hose.

It has been a practice for a period of years to provide flight personnel with equipment including ilexible conduits for conducting oxygen from a source of supply to personnel face masks, helmets, or the like. lt has also been found desirable and necessary to provide nicht personnel with gear with electrical leads or connections for communication, heat and instrumentation purposes.

Initial developments in the prior art evidence the utilization of llexible rubber tubing to deliver oxygenkto flight personnel and the provision of encased electrical leads running parallel with and secured externally to the tubing with separate couplings between tubitvy sections and their associated electrical leads.

Subsequent developments in the art disclose the construction of flexible rubber or elastomeric compound tubing as an oxygen hose in which electrical leads are built integrally into the Wall structure of the hose with such leads being withdrawn through the side Wall of the hose adjacent the ends thereof where they are provided, externally of the hose, with connector fittings adapted to mate with cooperative fittings on another section of hose to which they are to be coupled. An example of such a prior art construction is clearly disclosed in US. Letters Patent No. 2,602,608, issued July 8, 1952 to Ralph E. Darling.

Still later developments in the art disclose improvements in couplings for oxygen hoses wherein the electrical connections and the gas connections are formed side by side in a single body so that they may be interconnected with a single action of connection between separable hose sections. An example of such an improved coupling construction is fully disclosed in US. Letters Patent No. 2,634,311, issued April 7, 1953 to Ralph E. Darling.

Most recent developments and refinements in the art have resulted in the provision of male and female coupling members for flexible oxygen hoses in which the gas conduits are interconnected coaxially of the two coupling elements and the electrical connections are made through the medium of diminutive conductive pins arranged concentrically about the gas conduit of the male couplinfI element and a plurality of pin receptacles or sockets arranged concentrically about the gas conduit of the female coupling in aligned registry with the pins of the male element. This construction provides for a sirnple plugging or unplugging action between the two coupling elements which serves to connect or disconnect the gas conduits and the electrical leads between the separable elements simultaneously within a single, compact fitting.

lt has been discovered in the use of the coupling elements in current day use that repeated connection and disconnection of the coupling elements may result in the loosening, bending and even breaking of the connector pins, and the loosening and scoring of the pin receptacle sockets, impair-ing their effectiveness, it not destroying entirely their usefulness. When such impairment or destruction occurs it has been necessary to discard the entire hose assembly since the coupling elements are formed as integral parts of the hoses to insure gastightness, and hence substantial losses have attended the damage 0cliidS atented .italy i3, i965 curring to the pin and socket elements of the couplings.

it is, therefore, a general object of the present invention to provide male and female coupling elements for use in connection between separable sections of oxygen breathing hose which can be made integrally gastight With their respective hose sections in conformity with present day construction, and in which the electrical pins and socket receptacles of both the male and female coupling elements may be read-ily removed and replaced without damage to the hose or to the gastight construction of the hose and coupling assembly.

A principal object of the present invention resides in the provision of mating male and female coupling components for connecting the gas and electrical communication elements of separable ilexible hose sections in which the pin and socket assemblies may be readily removed and replaced for repair purposes.

Another and important object of this invention rests in providing male and female coupling components for interconnection of separable oxygen hose sections in which' the couplings are adaptable to use in the manufacture or" flexible oxygen hose under present day procedures and to present day standards to provide gastight connection and positive electrical connection between the separable hose sections when coupled.

Still anotherobject of this invention rests in the provision ot a coupling composed of male and female elements for providing electrical and gas interconnection which readily permits the removal and replacement of one or all of the electrical connector elements, male and female, and which permits the quick connection of electric leads to established terminals within the coupling, and the ready and quick reassembly of the unit Without any impairment of the established integral gastight connection between the coupling section and the hose section with which it is integrally formed.

The nature of the present invention may be stated in general terms as relating to a combination gas-electric disconnect fitting including male and female coupling components, each coupling component having a centralgas conduit and means for securing said conduit in extension of the central bore of a flexible hose; the male coupling component including a projecting hollow stem axially thereof communicating with the central gas conduit thereof, and plural conductive pins projecting therefrom in concentric arrangement about said stem, said pins being removably mounted in said component and each having electrical connection with a lead formed integrally in the flexible hose; the female coupling component include ing an axial receptacle for receiving the projecting hollow stem of the male coupling, said receptacle having communication with the central gas conduit of the female component, and plural conductive sockets mounted therein in concentric arrangement about said central receptacle and radially arranged to register with the conductive pins of said male coupling component, said sockets being removably mounted in said female coupling component andv each having electrical connection with a lead formed integrally with the flexible hose.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals designate similar parts throughout the several views:

FlG. l is a side elevation of the male and female coupling components in coupled arrangement;

FIG. 2 is an end View of the femal coupling component;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the male coupling component;

FG. 4a is a sectional view taken on line 4a-4cr, FIG. 2;

FIG. 4b is a sectional View taken on line dla-4b,-

FIG. 3;

FlG. 5 is a vertical section taken on line 5-5, FlG. 4a;

FIG. 6vis a vertical section takenon offset line 6 6, FIG. 4a;

FIG. 7 is a vertical section taken on line '7--7, FIG. 4b;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary section illustrating a conductive pin and socket engaged;

FIG. 9 is an exploded View of the pin and socket and retaining element of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a top .plan viewfof the. female component mounted in a console;

FIG. 11 is a vertical section taken on line 11-11, FIG. 10, with the female coupling shown in full line;

` IG. 12 is a vertical section taken on line 12-12, FIG. 10;V

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the console mounting fitting for the female coupling component. j The. embodiments of the present invention disclosed in the accompanying drawings are of a character which have been discovered-to be particularly adaptable for use in connection with a smooth bore, flexible oxygen breathing hose formed of a` rubber or silicone rubber compound and in which a plurality of electrical leads are formedintegrally in the wall of the house to extend through the hose length and project from the side wall thereof adjacent the ends thereof to permit their attachment to electrical leads or terminals within coupling fittings.

As is illustrated in FIG. l of the drawings, the coupling constituting the present inventionconsists generally of a female coupling component 1G and a male lcoupling componente12, reach secured tothe end of a length of flexible oxygen hose, 14 and 16 respectively. T he engagement of the maleand female components of the coupling serves to provide or establish between the separate hose sections 14 and 16 a continuity of the gas conduits and of the electrical leads forming integral parts of the separate hose sections.

As is best illustrated-,in FIGS. 2 and 4a, the female coupling component consists of a short cylindrical body element 1S which is providedl on one face thereof with in integral, projecting tubular extension 2t). The body element 18.is formed in two sections, namely, a central section22 with which thetubular extension is integrally formed, and a circumferential ring section 24 of nonconductive material formed concentrically about the short cylindrical body portion and secured thereto by kplural screw fasteners 26.

Centrally of that face of the body element 18 remote to the tubular extension there is provided a circular tapered seat 28 defining the entery to a circular axial passage 30 extending through the cylindrical body into and communicating with the bore of the tubular extension 2t). Intermediate the tubular extension 20 and the axial passage 30 there is provided a restricted throat region 32 which is defined by a tapered conical seat 33 and within which resilient sealing rings-34, generally of the O-ring type, are circumferentially fixed. Adjacent the tubular extension the throat tapers outwardly to define an angular shoulder or seat 35 disposed toward the central bore of the `tubular extension 20.

Additionally, as best seen in FIG. 6, the body element 18 is provided with plural, radially spaced spring seated detent balls mounted in the central portion 22. thereof to have restricted portions thereof projecting into the axial passage V30 in typical fashion. The outer ring portion 24 of the body element 18 is provided with a pair of integrally formed spaced hinge ears 42 which project perpendicularly therefrom and which receive a hinge pin 44 mounting a circular cap member 46 which is provided centrally of the underside thereof with a circular depending boss 48. A coil spring Sl) mountedabout the, hinge pin 44 intermediate the ears 42 is provided with an extended leaf element 52 bearing against the upper face of the lid member 46 urging it about vthe pin 44t'oward a position normally closing theaxial passage 30 as illustrated in dotted line in FIG. 4aV of the drawings.

Associated with the extended end of the tubular extension 20 of the female coupling body element is a tube or hose engaging stem 56 which consists of an elongated, rigid tubular conduit 58 having an enlarged circular base flange 69 with which is integrally formed on the face thereof opposite stem 56 an externally threaded tubular extension 62 in which a central, axial socket 64 denes a shoulder 66 annularly about the point of communication between said socket and the central bore 68 of the tubular conduit. The extended end of the stem 56 is provided with an annular, raised bead 70 thereabout, and the base end of the stern Se adjacent ange 6) is provided with an enlarged boss 72 which is externally threaded as at 74.

As is best seen in FIG. 4a of the drawings, the externally threaded-extension 62 of the tube engaging stem Se is inserted and threadedly engaged within the extended end of the tubular extension 20'and an elongated coil spring 76, positioned axially within the tubular extension, seats V on the shoulder 66 in stem socket 64 and biases a check valve element 78, having a sealing ring 79, longitudinally of the extension toward and against the angular shoulder or seat 35 adjacent the restricted throat area 32 of the body element 1,8.

A cylindrical casing sleeve S@ -is positioned concentri- V cally about the tubular extension Ztl and'is engaged in and retained between annularly notched grooves S2 and $4 formed inV longitudinal opposition on the outer circumferential ring element 24 of the body element and on the enlarged flange 60 of the tube engaging stem element 56 respectively. The tubular casing Sli encloses the extension 2) and the terminal projections of the pin sockets 3rd-between the flange et? the body element 13.

The hose section 14 with which the female coupling component is associated conventionally consists of a corrugated, smooth bore flexible tube, shown in dotted line at 86, into which the stem 56' is slidably engaged. A

metallic sleeve or ferrule 8g is positioned concentrically about that free end of t-he tube Sein which the stem is inserted and the ferrule is threadedly secured on the threaded shoulder 72 of the stern to extend substantially co-extensively therewith, and then the ferrule is swaged upon that portion of the tuberwall between the ferrule and the stem 56. Electrical leads 89 built into the wall of the corrugated tube 36 are extracted through the side wall of the tube in conventional manner and are extended linearly through drilled passages 90 in the enlarged ange 60 of the stem 56 to extend into that area about tubular extension 20 within casing S0. The leads are helically wound around tube 20 and are connected with the terminal ends of the conductive pin sockets 38. A drilled opening 92 provided in the casing 80 permits the introduction of potting compound into the area surrounding tubular extension 20 after the leads are electrically connected into the terminal ends of the pin sockets and the female'component is assembled.

To complete the assembly of the female coupling component with the flexible tube 86, that end of the tube adjacent the sleeve ferrule 88 is provided with a molded` end, illustrated in dotted line at 94, which molded end extends from a point beyond the extended end of stem 56 over ferrule 88 to a ush position with the'enlarged ange 60, thereby finishing the assembly and at the same time encasing within the molded end the electrical leads extending from the flexible tubing 86 through the drilled openings in enlarged ange 60. V

The male coupling component of the combination coupling constituting the present invention is best illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4b of the accompanying drawings. This male component consists of a cylindrical body section of non-conductive material generally indicated at which is provided about one face thereof with an extended marginal ange 102 which is interrupted at 1014 through a portion thereof. The cylindrical body element has a central axial passage or bore 106 extending therethrough.

Associated with the body element 100fis a conduit assembly, generally designated at 108, which consists of an elongated tubular stem 11i) adapted for connection with the female coupling component, and an oppositely extending tubular stem 112, similar to stem 56 hereinbefore described, which is adapted for insertion within the smooth bore of the flexible oxygen hose section generally designated at 16. The coupling stem 110 consists of a cylindrical base portion 11.4 engaged within the axial passage or bore 196 of the body element presenting in projection outwardly within and beyond the marginal tlange 102 a thin tube defined by an inclined shoulder 116 adjacent the face of the body element. The stem tube has an open extended end 118 and axially disposed openings 120 in the wall thereof adjacent the open end. Intermediate the length of the stem portion 110 a raised rib element 122 is formed annularly about the stem with an inclined wall 12d disposed toward the projected open end thereof.

Adjacent that face of the body element lili? remote to the projecting stern portion lli? the stem assembly 158 includes, integrally with the base portion 114, a trifurcated plate or flange 126 the projecting arms 12S thereof being secured to the adjacent face of the body element by means of screw fasteners 13d entering from the opposed face of the body element and engaging therein. One of said screw fastening elements 130 further secures a flat metallic tab 132 between the body element and one of the trifurcated arms 123 to project outwardly substantially perpendiculariy to the axial centerline of the component for purposes to be hereinafter described.

Spaced from the trifurcated flange 126 the stern assembly is provided with a circular ange 134 having a threaded boss 136 adjacent thereto and deiining the base end of the tubular hose engaging extension or stem 112 projecting therefrom.

The body element 13) is provided with passages 138 therethrough in radially spaced positions about the stem assembly ltl coinciding in their positions so as to register with the pin socket passages 36 in the female coupling as will be described. Each passage 13S receives and retains the base of a conductive pin 11S@ therein which supports in projection outwardly therefrom within the contines of body element ilange 102 the conductive pin element 142 adapted to engage in a pin socket in the female component. The terminal ends of the conductive pins project outwardly from the opposed face of the body element within the triturcations dciined by the trifurcated harige 126 on that face of the body element.

A cylindrical sleeve casing 144, Isimilar to the casing Sli previously described relative to the female component, is positioned concentrically about the extended tube engaging stem projection 112 and engages against a notched v shoulder formation 146 about the adjacent face of the body clement 1@ to project substantially in 3o-extension with the tube engaging stem element 112.

A sleeve or ferrule 148 concentrically surrounds tube engaging stem 112 within the contines of the casing 1li-t and is threadedly connected to the threaded boss 136 at the base end of the tube engaging stem.

The male coupling component is positioned relative to the tlexible tube section 16 to which it is attached with the tube engaging stem 112 inserted within the bore of the ilexi'ole wall of the tube and with the ferrule or sleeve 14S concentrically about the tube wall upon which it is swaged. The electric leads b from the flexible tube extend into the casing 144 to connect to the terminal ends of the conductive pins and a molded end, illustrated in dotted line at 152, about the end of the ilexible wall hose abuts the projected end of casing 144 finishing oi the assembly.

In the cooperative function of the male and female components the lid 46 of the female component is moved away from its passage closing condition to that shown in full line in FEG. 4a, whereupon the projected stem 11% or" the male component is inserted within the axial passage Si? of the female body element and is slidably moved inwardly to a point to where the extended end of the stem will depress the check valve element 7S against the bias of spring 76 to open communication between the hollow stem 1l@ and the hollow bore of the tubular extension 26 of the female component. When the stern is fully inserted the sealing rings 34 will securely engage and seal the forward portion of the stem while the inclined edge of rib 122 will move past the spring pressed balls to engage against the inclined wall 33 defining entry to the throat portion 32, positioning the rib H2 inside the spring pressed balls and bringing the inclined wall portion 116 of the stem into engagement with the conical seat 2S at the entry to passage 3th. At the same time, the conductive pins 142 will be inserted into the conductive pin sockets 3S in the female component, as illustrated in FIG. 8, with which they register, thereby locking the male and female component elements in gas and electric conducting engagement. The spring bias of lid 46 will cause it to move to the position shown in FIG. 1 wherein the boss element i3 on the underside thereof will engage behind tab 13?; on the male element preventing axial separation of the male and female components, while at the same time the marginal flange 1li@ on the male component will serve to enclose and shield the electrical connection between the pins and the sockets of the two components.

The detailed structures of the pin and socket elements which are commercially available from The Deutsch Company -of Banning, California, are shown in FIG. 8. Both pins and sockets are secured within the passages or" the coupling components by use of split tubes le@ which are positioned within restricted portions of the passages in each element and which receive therein tapered portions of the pins or sockets, as the case may be, to resiliently retain the same in a tixed axial position within the passages. An extractor and insertion tool is available for these pins and sockets. The lead wires to the pins and sockets respectively are brought within a Teilon or like insulating extension 162 on the base ends of the pins and the sockets and are inserted within a receptacle formation in the base of each pin and each socket wherein they are soldered, as at 164, to form a terminal connection.

In FIGS. 10 through 13 of the accompanying drawings there is illustrated a novel concept for mounting the female coupling component of the present combination in a ixed position within a vehicle console to permit the ready connection and disconnection of a male coupling secured to a length of tubing connected to personnel gear into and out of gas and electric communication withv sources connected in turn to the female element in the console mount. The console mount consists of a console plate 179 secured at multiple points 172 thereon to a fixed element of an aircraft or like vehicle. Said console plate is provided, in the present instance, with two circular openings 174, each of which is adapted to receive the upper end portion, vertically therethrough, of a tubular sleeve 176 which is provided with a triangular plate 17d secured about an intermediate portion thereof by welding or the like and which plate is provided in triangular arrangement thereon with vertical openings 18d therethrough. The triangular plate 17S is secured by combination screw fastener elements 182 against the underside of console plate and the female component of the coupling is slidably inserted downwardly through the sleeve 176 projecting above the console plate to position the receptacle end of the female component above the console plate in ready position for opening and reception of a male component element in the manner herein before described.

As is shown in dotted line in FIGS. 4u and 4b, it is fully contemplated and intended that the electrical leads extending from the llexible hose units to the disconnect pins or the pin sockets be provided with substantial helically wound slack Within the contines of the casings 8b and 144 of the female and male components respectively, whereby the head elements of the two components may be quickly and readily disassembled through the medium of the screw fasteners retaining the component elements of the head portions together and permit ready access' tO the terminal ends of thev pins and the pin sockets for repair or replacement. Upon reassembly of the units an electrical potting compound may be readily introduced under pressure into the casings of the male and female components. Thus, reconstruction or repair of the pins and sockets may be accomplished without disturbing or impairing in any manner the molded, integrally formed gas tight connection between the components and their respective hose or tube sections.

Having thus described and explained the construction and function of my invention in respect to the combina# tion and sub-combination of elements thereof, what I desire to claim is:

1. In combination with two separate sections of flexible hose each having a gas conduit axially therethrough and plural electric leads extending longitudinally within the walls thereof and projecting from the remote ends thereof, a gas-electric coupling composed of a female and a male conponent; said female component comprising a body member having an axial passage therethrough communicating with a tubular extension projecting axially from one face thereof, plural conductive pin sockets secured in insulated condition in said body member concentrically about the axial passage therein and opening outwardly through that face of said body member remote to the tubular extension thereon, said pin sockets having terminal ends projecting from said body member Y concentrically about the tubular extension thereon, Va

tubular hose insert extension-projecting axially from that' face of the body elementremote to the projecting stern and secured in the gas conduitin the adjacent end of the' k second hose section, plural conductive pins secured in insulated condition in said body element concentricallyV about and projecting in parallel with said stem, said con-v ductive pins having terminal ends projecting from said body element concentrically about said tubular house in' sert extension., the electric leads projecting from said adjacent hose end being secured to the terminal ends of said pins, and a tubular casing removably secured between said body element and said hose section enclosing the electric leads and the terminal ends of said pins.

2. A combination as defined in claim 1 wherein the pin sockets are slidably resiliently secured in the female body member from the terminal end face thereof, and wherein the conductive pins are slidably resiliently secured in the male body element from the terminal end face thereof.

3. A combination as defined in'claim 1 wherein the tubular stern of the female body member is provided with an enlarged ange adjacent its attachment to said tubular extension, and said tubular casing is rigidly engaged between said stem flange and said body member.

4. A combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said female body member is provided with a'spring hinged lid having a centrally depending projection on the underside thereof normally seating within the axial passage of said body.

y 5. A combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said female body member is provided with a spring hinged lid having a centrally depending projection on the underside thereof normally seating within the axial passage of said body, and said male body element supports a projecting tab engageable with the lid projection of the female body member when said male body element and female body member are engaged. j

. 6. A combination as defined inv claim 1 wherein the male body element is formed of a non-conductive material, and wherein the female body member is composed of two concentric units the outermost of which is nonconductive and supports the pin sockets therein.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED `STATES PATENTS 894,644 7/08 Hill 339-44 X 1,552,521 9*/25 Van Dorn et al. 339-16 X -2,411,861 12/46 Antony etal 339-217 '2,593,182 4/52V Quackenbush 339-44 2,631,185 3/53 Earle et al. 339-16 2,859,422 ll/SAS Oliveau 339-217 X 3,028,574 4/62 Di Monte 339-217 X 3,110,537 1l/6'3 Poetzsch et al 339-16 FOREIGN PATENTS 25,377 5/ 12 Great Britain.

JOSEPH D. sEERs, Primm Examiner.

THOMAS I. HICKEY, Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH TWO SEPARATE SECTIONS OF FLEXIBLE HOSE EACH HAVING A GAS CONDUIT AXIALLY THERETHROUGH AND PLURAL ELECTRIC LEADS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY WITHIN THE WALLS THEREOF AND PROJECTING FROM THE REMOTE ENDS THEREOF, A GAS-ELECTRIC COUPLING COMPOSED OF A FEMALE AND A MALE COMPONENT; SAID FEMALE COMPONENT COMPRISING A BODY MEMBER HAVING AN AXIAL PASSAGE THERETHROUGH COMMUNICATING WITH A TUBULAR EXTENSION PROJECTING AXIALLY FROM ONE FACE THEREOF, PLURAL CONDUCTIVE PIN SOCKETS SECURED IN INSULATED CONDITION IN SAID BODY MEMBER CONCENTRICALLY ABOUT THE AXIAL PASSAGE THEREIN AND OPENING OUTWARDLY THROUGH THAT FACE OF SAID BODY MEMBER REMOTE TO THE TUBULAR EXTENSION THEREON, SAID PIN SOCKETS HAVING TERMINAL ENDS PROJECTING FROM SAID BODY MEMBER CONCENTRICALLY ABOUT THE TUBULAR EXTENSION THEREON, A TUBULAR HOSE INSERT STEM REMOVABLY SECURED TO SAID BODY MEMBER EXTENSION AND SECURED IN THE GAS CONDUIT IN THE ADJACENT END OF ONE SECTION OF SAID FLEXIBLE HOSE, THE ELECTRIC LEADS PROJECTING FROM SAID ADJACENT HOSE END BEING SECURED TO THE TERMINAL ENDS OF SAID CONDUCTIVE SOCKETS, 